Radioactive Roses
by fluffmania207
Summary: Lisbon and Jane get exposed to high levels of radiation while on a sting. Suddenly, both of them have to accept that changes happen, whether they like it or not.
1. Chapter 1

Radioactive Roses

**A/N: Again, I cannot control the random wanderings of my mind. I hope you enjoy what it produces. This is written in the original, CBI, format because I work better with those characters. Set post-Red John. CBI intact. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think. Thanks. I will get back to "Sheriff of RedRock" as soon as I work out what will happen next.**

Chapter one

Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon was furious with Patrick Jane. Her consultant had managed to get both of them trapped in a black warehouse in search of a killer. They were crouching down behind some shelves, waiting for the killer to arrive. There was a strange smell in the air, but Lisbon put it down to some weird chemicals being stored in the warehouse.

The door at the far end opened, and heavy footsteps were heard entering. Lisbon readied her gun as Jane stood up. "Marcel," he yelled. "Come for the evidence?"

Marcel Long stopped walking. "Who are you?" he called. "And how did you know I killed Sophia?"

Jane shrugged, keeping in the shadows. Lisbon jumped up next to Jane. "CBI, hands where I can see them."

Marcel didn't know where the voice had come from, and thought it had come from the door. He ran towards Jane and Lisbon, and knocked over the line of shelves they had been hiding behind. Forty paint cans hit the ground, and their contents covered Jane and Lisbon completely.

Lisbon managed to collar Marcel, who was lying a few feet away. He had missed the paint cans and their contents. As Lisbon turned on her torch, Jane turned pale. "Lisbon," he yelled. "Lisbon. We have a problem."

"What, Jane?"

Jane held up one of the paint cans. Lisbon could see the radiation warning sticker, and many more like it on the other cans. She pulled out her cell phone. "Rigsby, call a radiation unit. We have a serious contamination at warehouse three. Jane and I are contaminated too."

It took ten minutes for the unit to arrive, and an additional two hours to decontaminate the scene. Lisbon and Jane were carted away in a sealed van for decontamination showers. Their clothing was soaked through with the radioactive sludge. Incidentally, the radioactive substance was the cause of the murder in the first place. It was going to be dumped into the ocean, because o the cost of disposing of it legally.

Lisbon sat on the hospital bed. She was being checked by a doctor. "Well, Ms Lisbon," he said. "Your vitals all seem normal. You were exposed for almost three hours, if your timeline is correct. It's quite remarkable for you to not be showing any symptoms of radiation sickness. That combination of Francium, Actinium and Nobelium can be quite potent."

Lisbon nodded. "How's Jane?"

The doctor picked up his clipboard. "Mr Jane has no ill effects after being exposed to the radiation. He is just as healthy as you are."

Lisbon nodded. "Can I go home now?"

The doctor shook his head. "Your department wants us to keep you here overnight for observation. If you would like, I can have you and Mr Jane moved to a ward together. I think you would prefer the company."

Lisbon nodded. She was ready to kill that man when she saw him.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Lisbon and Jane were discharged the next morning. Lisbon headed back to her apartment, ready to sleep off the effects of the stress. She collapsed onto her couch, and put the TV on. The CBI had given her and Jane the week off, should any underlying problems occur. Lisbon planned to use her week to have as little to do with Jane as possible. She rested her head on the arm of the couch, and dropped off to sleep.

Lisbon's week passed quickly, with no contact with Jane. Lisbon felt refreshed and ready to get back to work. She met up with Cho at the elevator. He greeted her with a nod, and the two of them rode up to their floor in silence. Lisbon headed out to the bullpen, and greeted her team. Jane was already asleep on his couch.

Lisbon was catching up on her paperwork, when she felt the effects of a headache starting. She took some painkillers, but the headache wouldn't leave. After an hour, Lisbon couldn't take the pain. It felt like her head would explode. She lay down on her couch, and tried to focus the pain elsewhere. Then, just as suddenly as it had arrived, the headache vanished. Lisbon sat up. She could barely remember the pain, but knew she had been in pain from the sheen of sweat on her face. She wiped her face down and reapplied her makeup.

Suddenly, she heard mumbling. Talking, but very low voices. And lots of them. It seemed like she was in a hall full of people, and they were muttering away to themselves. The voices that were the loudest seemed very familiar. Lisbon gripped her head again, trying to stop the voices. She felt like she was going crazy.

Nobody was going to believe her.

**A/N2: This is a short introduction to a new story. Tell me what you think in a review please. Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

Radioactive Roses

**A/N: Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the number of people who followed and reviewed. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

Chapter two

Lisbon shook her head, but the voices wouldn't leave her. She stood up, and went back to her desk. No shrink in the world would believe that she was actually hearing voices. That was an absurd thought in itself. Lisbon tried to tune the voices out, but she couldn't seem to get them to stop. The door to her office opened, and Cho entered.

Suddenly, one of the voices got louder. _'New case. Downtown',_ it said. Cho looked at Lisbon. "We caught a case. Downtown."

Lisbon nodded, too stunned to speak. Cho shut the door and went back to his desk. "Did I just read his mind?" said Lisbon out loud.

The idea itself was absurd. Lisbon stood up and headed out to where her team were getting ready to leave. Proximity to a person seemed to have an effect on how loud their thoughts were. Rigsby's were the loudest, as he was standing next to her. He was thinking about Grace Van Pelt, his wife. Van Pelt was thinking about the case; she was apparently the one who got the call. Cho was thinking about his book. Then Jane stood up.

Lisbon would have sworn that Jane was standing right next to her talking loudly into her ear. He was considering lunch, the case, and the properties of water, all at the same time. His thoughts were chaos. Lisbon tried to tune him out, and managed with difficulty. "Are we ready?" asked Lisbon.

Three affirmative answers – their thoughts echoing them – greeted her, and they headed for the elevator.

The car ride to the scene was torture. Rigsby kept wondering about lunch, which Lisbon found irritating. And Jane skipped from one thought to another with very little provocation. Lisbon found it almost fascinating to listen to how his thoughts processed everything around him. Cho kept wondering about his book. And Van Pelt was concerned about an upcoming party later that week.

They arrived on the scene, and headed inside. A housewife lay facedown in a pool of her own blood. Three gun shot wounds to her back were the obvious cause of death. Lisbon turned to Cho. "Find out if there were any witnesses." She turned to Rigsby. "Check for signs of an intruder."

Jane was already on the other side of the room. Lisbon and Van Pelt headed over to him. "Any ideas?"

Jane turned to the body. Lisbon listened to his thoughts as he summed up the scene. He shook his head. "Housewife lives with her husband and three children. Husband was out. No signs of a struggle. Probably someone she knew well, or invited in for an argument."

Van Pelt frowned. "How do you know that?"

Lisbon pointed to a crack in the wall. "Looks like a coffee cup hit there." She bent down and touched the ground under the crack. "It's sticky." She stood up and turned to Van Pelt. "Get forensics to find out what was in that cup."

Van Pelt nodded and disappeared. Jane turned to Lisbon. "How did you know?"

Lisbon shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess I saw the crack before you did."

Jane shook his head. "You're a terrible liar, Lisbon."

Lisbon looked around. "Not here, Jane."

Jane nodded, but his thoughts were already turning over, trying to work out what Lisbon would tell him. Lisbon shook her head. "It's no good guessing, Jane. You are not even close."

Jane frowned. Lisbon walked away to check the rest of the scene. Jane went into the kitchen to see if there was anything of interest. But something bugged him. _'How did Lisbon know I was guessing?'_

He found three sets of coffee cups. There were supposed to be six cups in each. One set was green, one was blue, and one was red. But one of the red cups was missing. Jane dug in the trashcan, but didn't find the cup. He then headed outside and dug in the can outside. Right in the bottom, he found the cup. It was in five pieces. Suddenly, Lisbon appeared next to him. "What did you find?"

Jane stepped back so she could see the cup. She nodded. "Van Pelt, tell forensics to bag it."

Van Pelt nodded, and Jane followed Lisbon back inside. Lisbon shook her head in response to his confused thoughts. "Don't worry, Jane. I'll explain it all later."

Inside, the husband was sitting upstairs. He was in shock. Lisbon sat opposite. "Mr Willow, I need you to tell me what happened."

Paul Willow nodded. "I got home after dropping the kids at school. I work the afternoon shift at the office. It finishes at nine. I walked in and found Marisa, like that…"

He broke down and began to cry. Lisbon sat opposite him, and let him cry. Jane was walking around the room. "Mr Willow, was Marisa having an affair?"

Paul shook his head. "No. we loved each other."

Lisbon wasn't really listening to the man's spoken words. _'I know Marisa wasn't cheating. Why the hell would they ask that? Do they think I killed her?'_

Jane nodded as the man spoke. "Were you having an affair?"

Paul stood up. "That's ridiculous. I don't appreciate the way you come in and assume things about me that aren't true. Now leave, please."

Lisbon ignored the outburst. His thoughts gave him away. _'Susan Shepherd. Good colleague. Great in bed.'_

Lisbon didn't really want to hear the rest. "We'll leave now, Mr Willow. Thanks for your time."

Jane followed Lisbon from the room. "He's lying," she said.

Jane stopped. "How do you know?"

Lisbon turned to him. "I'm a detective. I'm trained to pick up on that. But, there is another way that I know that."

Jane raised an eyebrow. _'This ought to be good.'_

"Oh, hush," replied Lisbon, answering his thoughts unthinkingly.

"I never said anything." Jane replied.

Lisbon sighed. "Let's go."

They headed downstairs. The team were waiting for them at the door. Lisbon tried hard to tune out their thoughts, especially Jane's. He was making himself particularly obnoxious, commenting on every single thing he saw. At the car, Lisbon handed Rigsby the keys. "You drive."

Rigsby was stunned, but nodded and got behind the wheel. Lisbon sat in the back with Van Pelt and Jane, and shut her eyes. Jane was still being obnoxious. _'Why did you let Rigsby drive? You never let me drive. Or Cho. Cho hardly ever drives. I know Grace is a scary driver. But I'm not that bad.'_

Jane went on and on for the entire ride home. Rigsby thought about the donut he had stashed in the fridge. Van Pelt was considering the aspects of the case as it currently stood. Cho wanted his book, because things were getting exciting in it.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Lisbon sat down at her desk and rested her head on the file in front of her. Jane shut the door behind him. "Lisbon," he said. "When were you going to tell me?"

Lisbon sat up. She was tired from having to tune the voices around her out. "It only happened today. I don't know why, but it happened."

Jane sat down. _'Is there any reason why?' _He thought._  
_

Lisbon shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that Mr Willows has a mistress named Susan Shepherd. Thinks she's good in bed. I tuned him out after that."

Jane nodded. "I assume the team doesn't know."

Lisbon shook her head. "I haven't the heart to tell Van Pelt that Rigsby thinks about food almost as often as he does about her."

Jane laughed. "I would have thought that about him anyway."

Lisbon looked at Jane. "You can be very irritating."

Jane smiled. "I'm off to find my teacup and couch."

Lisbon nodded, and he left.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Jane was lying on his couch. It was late in the day, and the people around him were starting to leave for the evening. Lisbon was still in her office, presumably trying to work out how she could suddenly read minds. As Jane lay on his couch, his vision began to cloud. It was like being asleep, but he was fully aware of what was happening around him. A sudden pain to the back of his head caused him to jerk upwards. He flopped back onto his couch, and his vision slowly returned.

Jane sat up. The pain was gone, and his vision was back to what it had been before. He stood up and headed over to Lisbon's office. She was leaning over her desk, fast asleep. Jane knocked on the door, and she jumped. "People's thoughts come into my dreams too," said Lisbon, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Rigsby really likes donuts."

Jane smiled. "Lisbon, what happened to you just before you realised you could read minds?"

Lisbon thought for a moment. "I had a splitting headache, and lay down on my couch. I took two painkillers. When it faded, I heard the voices."

Jane nodded, and ran through his experience in his mind. Lisbon listened to it all, and nodded with him. "Sounds similar, except my vision didn't vanish."

Jane sat down opposite Lisbon. "I can't read your mind, Lisbon. I don't hear any voices at all."

Lisbon sat back in her chair. "Is this not an after effect of the radiation we were exposed to?"

Jane shrugged. "More than likely. But I don't know what effect it's had on me." _'This is most confusing.'_

Lisbon nodded in agreement. It really was a mystery.

**A/N2: Let me know what you think in a review please. Also, it would be interesting to hear what you think the effect on Jane is. Any ideas are good. Thanks.**


	3. Chapter 3

Radioactive Roses

**A/N: Thank you to all of you who have read and reviewed or followed this story. I really do appreciate it.**

Chapter three

Jane lay on his couch. He thought about Lisbon being able to read minds. This was a great help in law enforcement. He also wondered what effect the radiation had had on him. He couldn't read minds, nothing felt out of the ordinary. He felt as though nothing had changed about him. Jane decided to spend the night in the CBI, and was awake for most of the night, thinking.

He woke early and lay staring at the ceiling. Van Pelt was the first to arrive. She sat at her desk, working on their latest case. Cho and Rigsby were next, having stopped for coffee and donuts first. Lisbon was last, and greeted her team as she entered. She headed to her office, and set to work. Jane sat up, and picked up a book from the table next to him.

The team spent a few hours together in silence. Lisbon came through and handed a file to Cho. "You and Rigsby go and check out this woman. She's the husband's mistress."

Cho nodded stood up, and Rigsby followed. They left together, and Jane looked up from his book. Lisbon placed a file on Van Pelt's desk, and went for coffee. As she returned, Van Pelt reached across her desk for the file. Her hand bumped a coffee cup standing on the edge, and it toppled off the desk.

Van Pelt blinked. The mug hadn't smashed like she thought it would. It was suspended about a foot off the ground, hovering in mid air. Lisbon froze. "I didn't do that," she answered Van Pelt's thoughts.

Van Pelt looked at Jane. He was staring at the cup, seemingly transfixed. "You can put it down now, Jane." Said Van Pelt.

Jane carefully moved the mug to the ground. "What the hell was that?" asked Lisbon.

"You tell me," replied Jane.

Van Pelt stood up. "Please, somebody tell me what the hell just happened."

Lisbon nodded and related her story to her colleague. Van Pelt's eyes grew wide at the story. "So you can read thoughts?"

Lisbon nodded. "With most people, it's like being in a hall with lots of people mumbling away to themselves. I only really ear if I'm close to them, or if I focus hard. With Jane, I can hear him pretty much anywhere in the building, and hear anything he thinks. Probably because we were exposed together."

Van Pelt turned to Jane. "And you're telekinetic. But apparently a far more potent form than normal."

Jane shrugged. "I only just discovered it now. When you bumped the mug, I just didn't want it to break because it's your favourite. Next thing, it was floating. I could feel it, but I knew I wasn't holding it."

Van Pelt nodded, and placed a file on the floor. "Lift that up."

Jane sat, and stared at the file. The file shifted, and then slowly lifted up off the ground. It hovered, and then began to rotate. Lisbon grabbed the file. "That's just showing off, Jane."

Jane grinned. "This will be a lot of fun."

Van Pelt rolled her eyes. "The husband's story checks out. He was at the school at the time of the murder. People can confirm it."

Lisbon nodded. "And the coffee cup?"

Van Pelt pointed to the file Lisbon held. "The report's in there."

Lisbon opened the file. "The cup had no usable prints, but was consistent with the crack in the wall. Contained coffee, with a considerable amount of sugar. The victim however," Lisbon flipped over a page, "was diabetic. It couldn't have been her coffee."

Jane wasn't listening. He was busy trying to see how much he could move at once. He had a whole host of pens and pencils hovering off of the desks in the immediate vicinity. Lisbon walked over and smacked him on the side of the head with the file, breaking his concentration. The pens and pencils all dropped back down onto the desks with a loud clatter. "Pay attention, Jane."

Jane frowned. _'No need to be pushy, Ms Lisbon. I was listening.' _He thought.

Lisbon raised an eyebrow. "Whatever. I want you and Van Pelt to go and find out from ExCorp about what exactly Mr Willows does."

They both nodded, and headed for the elevator. Lisbon went back into her office, and began to make phone calls. She was busy running down leads, and finding out more from family members about the couple and their lives. She wondered exactly what Jane would get up to. With his newfound ability to be irritating, this would prove interesting.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Jane wasn't paying much attention to what Van Pelt was asking. He was doing what he normally did, walking around examining everything. They were in the executive's office – a man names Justin Marshall, who owned the exporting business – questioning him about what exactly the employees did. Jane was examining the ornaments against the far wall, while Van Pelt asked the questions.

"Agent Van Pelt," said Mr Marshall. "Paul is a fine employee. Never late. Never off. Tries to submit everything on time."

Jane turned to Mr Marshall. "What about Susan Shepherd?"

Mr Marshall shrugged. "She's a lower level secretary that caters for Paul's department. She has high aspirations. Her husband is a plumber. Not exactly her style, but a nice enough guy. I met him once, at a staff party."

Jane nodded. He spotted something across the room, and went over to investigate. It was a photo of Mr Marshall, posing with a big fish. The other man in the picture was Paul Willows. "You're fishing buddies with Mr Willows," he noted.

Mr Marshall nodded. "Yes. We fish on weekends. He's a great guy."

Jane nodded, and continued to wander around the room. "Were you aware that Paul was having an affair with Susan?"

Mr Marshall nodded. "Marisa knew too. She was considering getting a divorce. Paul couldn't get her to change her mind. She was a stubborn woman."

Van Pelt turned to Jane, who appeared to be in his own world. Suddenly, a pen rolled off the table. Van Pelt knew Jane had done it, but said nothing. "Thank you for your time, Mr Marshall."

They left together, and Van Pelt turned to Jane. "Lisbon won't be happy to hear what you did. You know how she is about things."

Jane shrugged. "I have the ability to move objects I'm not touching, and you want me to not use it?"

Van Pelt sighed. Her boss would not be happy.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Lisbon sat at her desk, filling in forms. She wondered how Van Pelt was coping with Jane now that he could be more annoying than normal. This really was an odd development. She had adjusted to the idea of hearing everyone's personal thoughts, and tried her best to tune them out. It was not her place to hear what people didn't want heard.

The door opened, and Van Pelt came in. "what did he do?" asked Lisbon.

Van Pelt ran Lisbon through a quick summary in her mind, highlighting new information. She briefly mentioned Jane's pen incident, and Lisbon sighed. "It was bound to happen, Van Pelt."

Van Pelt nodded. "So I'm not in trouble?"

Lisbon shook her head. "Are Rigsby and Cho back yet?"

Van Pelt nodded. "They just walked in."

Lisbon stood up and followed Van Pelt from the room. Cho looked up. "Susan Shepherd wasn't at her house. But we found a neighbour who said that she had seen Susan leaving at seven this morning in a rush."

Lisbon nodded. "I need to speak with both of you in my office."

The two men followed their boss into her office, and she shut the door. "What is this about, boss?" asked Cho.

Lisbon turned to him. "That incident last week with the radioactive sludge, it left has left me in a difficult situation."

Rigsby frowned. "Difficult situation?"

Lisbon nodded. "Cho, Rigsby, I now have the ability to read minds."

Both men's thoughts stopped for a split second, before racing. "Boss, I don't believe this," said Rigsby.

Lisbon looked at him. "Think about anything; please not food or Van Pelt."

Rigsby nodded.

Lisbon shut her eyes. "When does that report have to be completed?"

Rigsby turned pale. "Boss…"

Lisbon nodded. "It freaked me out too. And you have no idea how irritating Jane can be."

Cho sat quietly. "We should bring Susan Shepherd in for questioning."

Lisbon opened her door. "Get an APB out on her car."

Both men nodded and went back to their desks. Lisbon turned around to find most of her files hovering an inch off of her desk. She sighed and sat down. She watched the files begin to rotate. Jane could be such a show off. Lisbon reached for one of the floating files, and took it with her into the bullpen. She stopped in shock when she realised the extent of Jane's new ability.

**A/N2: Thanks for reading. Please leave a review for me. I really do appreciate the input. Thanks again.**


	4. Chapter 4

Radioactive Roses

**A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews. I really do appreciate it. I'm sorry about the delay, life has been hectic. Anyway, enjoy this next chapter.**

Chapter four

Files hovered off of most of the desks in the area. Pens and staplers floated lazily around the room. The drawers on Jane's desk opened and closed every five seconds. Van Pelt's jacket, which she had casually tossed over the back of her chair, was rotating slowly above her chair. Lisbon looked further. The coffee machine was hovering six inches off of the counter in the break room. And then Lisbon looked at Jane. He was on his couch, which was floating about a foot off of the ground.

"Jane," she said, trying to ignore the pen floating past her face. "Please put everything down before you break something."

Jane opened his eyes and looked at her. Lisbon watched as the files and stationary all returned back to where they should be. The coffee machine landed on the counter with a thump, and Van Pelt's jacket returned to the back of her chair. The couch lowered gently to the floor, landing with a thud. Rigsby was speechless. Cho didn't look surprised, but Lisbon listened to his thoughts. His thoughts were calculating what had just happened, and trying to work out how it would affect them in the future. She turned to him. "I wouldn't let it worry you. That's not our concern. I just feel sorry for HR."

Cho looked at her. "I'm not sure I can get used to you doing that."

Lisbon shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Have you ordered the APB on Susan Shepherd's car yet?"

Cho nodded. "SacPD are out looking for it. Nothing yet."

Lisbon nodded and turned to Van Pelt. "Anything else from forensics?"  
Van Pelt nodded. "The ME found a weird scratch on the victim's hand. Sent us a picture to see if we could make sense of it."

Van Pelt handed the picture to Lisbon, who took a closer look. It was a long red mark on the victim's left hand, running across the base of her palm. Lisbon handed the photo to Jane, who glanced casually at it. He figured that the scratch must have come from the struggle. He turned to Van Pelt. "Was our victim left handed or right handed?"

Van Pelt opened her file. "She was left handed."

Jane nodded, and sat back down on his couch. Lisbon listened as he began to calculate the evidence. _'The victim was left handed; therefore the scratch itself came from a fight. She isn't strong enough to crack the wall. So we're looking for a man, possibly the husband of the mistress.'_

Lisbon nodded. She turned to Cho. "See if you can track down Susan's husband, Michael. He may be involved."

Cho nodded. "On it, Boss."

Jane frowned up at Lisbon. "That's not fair, Lisbon."

Lisbon shrugged. "I like being a step ahead of you for a change."

The rest of the team exchanged glances, but said nothing. Life was certainly interesting now.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Two days had passed, and Susan Shepherd was still on the run. There had been no new developments in the case, and so Jane was up in the attic relaxing. A summer afternoon rainstorm had begun outside, and it was pelting with rain outside his window. Jane had been experimenting with his new abilities, discovering that one cannot make a cup of tea effectively with the mind. He was also testing how much weight he could lift at once. A car he could not manage, but he had lifted up a motorcycle in the parking lot outside.

Jane stood up off of his makeshift bed. He went to the window and stared out into the blurry afternoon. He opened the window and stepped onto the balcony outside. The rain immediately began to soak his hair and suit, darkening his navy suit to almost black. He shut his eyes, and thought hard. Suddenly, the rain stopped hitting him. He couldn't feel any more drops soaking his waterlogged hair.

He opened his eyes to find that the rain was running down an imaginary bubble he had created around himself. The dropped even left streaks in the air. Jane watched in fascination as the rain continued to hit his bubble. A movement inside distracted him, and his bubble vanished. The rain began to soak him again, and he looked like he had stepped into a shower fully clothed.

Lisbon was in the attic, watching him outside. "Having fun?"

Jane shrugged and stepped back inside. "I enjoy finding out exactly what it is I can do. So far, I can pick things up, move them about, and create a force field around myself that blocks physical objects."

Lisbon nodded. "That's great, but we have a homicide to solve."

Jane shrugged. "Meh. Susan isn't guilty. But her husband probably is."

Lisbon sat on the bed. "Why kill the wife though? Why not her husband?"

Jane ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it off of his face. He took off his suit jacket and tossed it casually next to Lisbon on the bed. "We will find that out as soon as we find him."

The colleagues left the attic together. Jane glanced at Lisbon. "You can't tell me you haven't been experimenting with your power, just a little."

Lisbon blushed. "I have, actually. The more familiar the internal voice, like one of the team, the further away I hear them. You, I hear anywhere. But it's not just voices. I see images too. Flashes of memory."

Jane nodded. Lisbon caught the flash of a smiley on a wall, and shuddered. Jane shut his eyes. "I wish you didn't have to see that."

Lisbon sighed. "No one should ever have to see that."

They walked into the bullpen together. Rigsby stood up. "Susan Shepherd was just apprehended at the Mexico border trying to sneak across. Get this; her husband was in the trunk of her car."  
Lisbon nodded. "Get border police to bring them up to us for questioning."

Rigsby nodded and picked up his phone. A mix of thoughts caught Lisbon's attention, and she turned towards her office. Her new boss, Special Agent Henry Stevens, stood there with two official looking men. Lisbon went over to them. "Hey, Boss."

Stevens was a tall man – as tall as Rigsby – with dark hair and grey eyes. His angular face was hard, but Lisbon knew the young agent had a good heart. He glanced at the two men who stood on either side of him. "These men are from the FBI. They would like to have a word with you and Mr Jane in private."

Lisbon nodded and turned to Jane. He was just settling onto his couch. "Jane, these men want a word."

Jane nodded reluctantly, and stood up again. They all went into Lisbon's office. Stevens shut the door. "I've been receiving, reports, of some strange activity from your unit, Agent Lisbon. Care to explain?"

Lisbon nodded and sat down at her desk. "I don't know if you remember that incident a couple weeks ago, with the radioactive sludge."

Stevens nodded. "I remember. You and Jane were both exposed, and booked off for a week to make sure you were both okay."

Lisbon nodded. "The radiation seems to have affected both Jane and myself in curious ways."

One of the FBI agents frowned. "Do you care to elaborate, Agent?"

Lisbon nodded. "Think of any object in your house right now. Nothing obvious."

Stevens stood up from the chair in the corner. "Is this a joke, Agent Lisbon?"

Lisbon shook her head. "I wish it were."

The agent reluctantly shut his eyes and thought for a moment. Lisbon listened carefully. "An antique jewellery box that used to belong to your grandmother. You keep it for sentimental reasons, because your grandmother was a very close member of your family."

The agent turned pale. "How did you do that?"

Lisbon shut her eyes. "I can read the thoughts of every person I come across."

Stevens turned to Jane. "Can you read minds too?"

Jane shook his head. "I could do that already. Not in the way my colleague can, but I didn't develop that symptom."

Jane stared at Lisbon's desk lamp. It lifted off the surface of the desk and began to rotate. Both FBI agents forgot to blink. They were stunned into silence. Stevens broke the silence. "You're telekinetic. But much more powerful because of your increased mental abilities."

Jane nodded and lowered the lamp back to the table. "I can create force fields too."

The first FBI agent stood up. "Agent Lisbon, why shouldn't the FBI recruit you and Mr Jane into our ranks. We could definitely use an ability like yours in the field."

Lisbon shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, Special Agent McQuilliam." The agent blinked once, not recalling having shared his name with Lisbon. "But I and my colleague are happy here at the CBI. We are staying here."

Agent McQuilliam nodded. "The offer is still open, to both of you." He handed his card to Lisbon. "Should you change your mind, give me a call."

Lisbon took the card, and nodded to her boss. "We have two suspects arriving from the border for questioning."

Stevens stepped to the door. It opened by itself, and the three agents left, pausing only to glance at Jane.

Lisbon sat down at her desk. She dropped the cad into her desk drawer. Jane sat down opposite her. "Will you consider moving to the FBI?"

Lisbon shook her head. "Who would keep you in line if I did?"

Jane grinned, and Lisbon watched as her stapler began to hover above her desk again. Lisbon snatched it out of the air, and hid it in her drawer. "Hey," said Jane. "I was using that."

Lisbon shook her head. "I'm going to need to bolt everything down around here pretty soon."

Jane laughed, and the two colleagues headed back out together into the bullpen.

**A/N2: Thanks for reading. Please leave a review for me. I would really appreciate it. Thanks.**


	5. Chapter 5

Radioactive Roses

**A/N: I'm sorry for the delay in getting these out. I wrote my final exam today, so hopefully these shall be more frequent now.**

Chapter 5

Lisbon stood behind the one way mirror and watched as Cho sat opposite Susan Shepherd. She was an attractive woman, tall with long dark hair and dark eyes. She kept crossing and uncrossing her legs under the table, and was trying hard to get Cho to look at her breasts. She reminded Lisbon of Erica Flynn, in her desperate attempts to get her way by manipulating men.

Cho opened his notebook. "Where were you three days ago at eight a.m?"

Susan smiled. "I was getting ready to go to work. Michael was already gone; they had an early start laying pipes in an uptown apartment."

Cho looked at her. "Can anyone confirm your story?"

Behind the mirror, Lisbon turned to Van Pelt. "She's telling the truth. Her maid had just arrived when she was leaving. They exchanged a few words about the maid's children."

Van Pelt nodded, and watched as Susan explained her alibi to Cho. Cho made some notes, and then looked up at her again. "The house your husband works at, do you have the address?"

Susan shook her head. "Michael never told me what it was."

Lisbon shook her head. "She's lying. She just thought the address now. It's 2137 Angel Drive." She turned to Van Pelt. "Take Rigsby; see what you can come up with."

Van Pelt nodded and left. Lisbon continued to watch the interview silently.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Van Pelt pulled the car to a stop outside 2137 Angel Drive, and looked up at the house. It was a huge apartment with floor to ceiling glass windows and a large balcony overlooking Sacramento. Rigsby got out and led the way up the path to the door. There was the sound of machinery coming from inside the house, and Rigsby knocked on the door. The machinery stopped, and he knocked again. The sound of heavy footfalls echoed through the apparently empty hallway, and the door opened. A shorter man stood on the other side. His short dark hair and short beard were coated in redbrick dust, and his clothing was filthy.

Rigsby flashed his badge and identified both himself and Van Pelt. "We're from the CBI. Is this where Michael Shepherd has been working?"

The man nodded. "Yes, he's my boss. Is everything okay?"

Rigsby glanced past the man. "Do you mind if we ask a few questions about him?"

The man stepped back and allowed the agents to enter. "Ask away. Is he in trouble?"

Van Pelt smiled. "That is an ongoing investigation, Mr…"

The man held out his hand. "Dubery. Jarred Dubery."

Van Pelt shook it, and Rigsby followed suit. They headed through to the job site, a bathroom on the lower level of the house. The wall was partially ground away, and several yards of piping lay coiled up in the corner. Jarred washed his hands in the basin, and turned to the agents. "What would you like to know?"

Rigsby glanced down at his notebook. "Was your boss at work three days ago?"

Jarred nodded. "He was here early, but had to leave for supplies. We were out of duct tape."

Van Pelt looked up. "What time was that?"

Jarred thought for a moment. "That was at about seven thirty."

"Was he gone long?"

Jarred shook his head. "About ten minutes."

Rigsby glanced at the partially chased wall. "Have you ever met Susan?"

Jarred nodded. "Lots of times. She was always coming to the site to bring stuff for us. She's nice enough, but pretty ambitious."

"Ambitious how?"

Jarred shrugged. "I would call her a man-eater, but she knew what she wanted, and I suspected she was sleeping with at least one other guy. She was on her way to being a high level corporate secretary, or so she used to say. I wouldn't put it past her to sleep her way to the top."

Van Pelt nodded, and glanced around. "How come you're the only one at work today?"

Jarred glanced at the agent. "Mostly we don't work Saturdays, but it's overtime if we do."

Rigsby nodded. "Oh, have you ever heard the name Marisa Willows?"

Jarred nodded. "We did work for them about six months back. She and Michael were school friends. Why? What's happened?"

Van Pelt shut her notebook and put it away. "She's dead."

Jarred almost dropped the grinder he had just picked up. "Dead? And you suspect Michael?"

The agents both looked away. Jarred put the grinder down onto the tiled floor. Rigsby looked at him. "Were you and her close?"

Jarred shrugged. "We kept contact after we finished working at their house because she had been telling me about her issues with Paul. She had found out about his affair, and was planning a divorce."

Van Pelt abruptly took out her notebook. "Did she know who it was with?"

"She said it was a secretary from Paul's work…" Jarred shut his eyes and frowned. "I have a feeling you're about to tell me it was Susan."

Both agents nodded, and Jarred looked visibly shaken. "She had been trying to assure Michael she wasn't cheating on him. But he always suspected she was lying."

Van Pelt nodded. "Thank you for your time, Mr Dubery. We will let you get back to work now."

Jarred nodded and followed them to the door. "If you need anything else, you know where to find me."

Van Pelt handed him her business card. "If you think of anything else, let us know."

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Lisbon was watching the interview of Michael Shepherd through the window. So far, he hadn't been lying when he said that he was at work early that morning, and that he had left for a few minutes to buy duct tape. "Why did you and Susan run the next day?" Cho asked.

Michael shrugged. "We figured we would be the first suspects in the murder because of Susan's relationship with Paul."

Cho nodded. "Did you kill Marisa?"

Michael shook his head. "No. and I'm sure Susan didn't either. She might have cheated on me, but she's no murderer."

The team met up again in the bullpen. "Well," said Lisbon. "Neither of them did it."

Cho nodded. "Both stories checked out. The maid confirmed that Susan was there."

Van Pelt pulled out her notebook. "We spoke with a Jarred Dubery at the work site. He confirmed Michael was there all morning."

Lisbon sighed and turned to Jane. "Any insight?"

Jane didn't look up from his book. But Lisbon heard his thoughts loud and clear. _'Check how each person involved drinks their coffee. That seems to be the key.'_

"Why?" asked Lisbon, forgetting the rest of the team hadn't heard Jane's thought.

Rigsby frowned, and Lisbon blushed before repeating Jane's thought. Van Pelt frowned and pulled the file off her desk. It was the report on the mug. "The coffee had lots of sugar in it. But Marisa was a type 2 diabetic. She was on insulin injections. That amount of sugar would have killed her."

Cho nodded. "So whoever has their coffee like that is obviously the person who shot her."

Jane frowned. "There were no signs of a struggle in the house, yet she has a scratch on her hand. Is it not possible that there was a minor struggle, but the person who killed her put things back to how they were?"

Lisbon nodded. "It's entirely possible."

Van Pelt sat down at her desk. "But that would mean the killer would need to know exactly where everything had been."

Rigsby had an idea. "Why not dust the things at the scene that could possibly have been displaced for fingerprints?"

Lisbon picked up Cho's desk phone and dialled the Crime Scene Investigation Unit downstairs. She put her request in, and then hung up the phone. "And now we wait."

Jane stood up. "I think Lisbon and I should go talk to Michael's employee."

Lisbon frowned. "Why?"

Jane looked at her. "It's something to do while we wait."

**A/N2: Please leave me a review. I would really appreciate it. Again, sorry for the delay.**


	6. Chapter 6

Radioactive Roses

**A/N: Sorry about the delay. Drama has a habit of following me around sometimes. Anyway, enjoy this chapter as an apology.**

Chapter six

Lisbon pulled to a stop at a traffic light and shut her eyes. She and Jane had been having a very unusual conversation, where she had been doing most of the talking. She had been reading his thoughts, and listening to him respond to her comments. It was mostly case related, because they were off to talk to Jarred Dubery again. Lisbon figured she would be able to tell if he was the killer, and Jane agreed.

The radio in the car had been on, and in a lull in conversation, Lisbon focussed on the song. She smiled. "That's ironic."

Jane tilted his head, and smiled with her as he listened to the song. It was by the band _Imagine Dragons_, a secret favourite of Lisbon's. The chorus explained their situation perfectly.

I'm waking up;  
I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make  
My system blow.  
Welcome to the new age,  
to the new age.  
Welcome to the new age,  
to the new age.  
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh whoa  
Whoa-oh-oh-oh  
I'm Radioactive,  
Radioactive.  
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh whoa  
Whoa-oh-oh-oh  
I'm Radioactive,  
Radioactive.

Lisbon put her foot on the gas as the light changed, and they headed to 2137 Angel Drive. Lisbon considered the song. So simple, but was true for both her and Jane. They were, essentially, radioactive. The thought scared her.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Lisbon stopped the car outside the apartment, and looked up at the apartment. It was just as imposing to her as it had been to Rigsby and Van Pelt. She wondered how people could live such opulent lives. It reminded Lisbon of _the Great Gatsby_. She and Jane headed to the front door, and she knocked. The door opened a few minutes later, and Jarred looked both her and Jane up and down. She tuned his thought out for the moment. They were and automatic, red-blooded male's response to both her and Jane. His reaction to Jane was stronger, and Lisbon held up her badge. "Agent Lisbon with the CBI. This is my colleague, Patrick Jane. We just have a few more questions for you."

Jarred nodded, and let them in. "how can I help you? I said all I needed to your colleagues."

Lisbon nodded. "We just have a few extra things to ask."

Jarred washed his hands. The pipes had been laid in the wall, and he had begun to plaster over them. Most of the dust had been cleaned up, and the tiles he had removed were stacked neatly against the wall next to the basin. He was half done, and his hands had been covered in course plaster. Jane wandered around the bathroom. "How well did you know Mrs Willows?"

Jarred shrugged. "We have been talking for about six months. She was worried about her marriage, and that her husband was having an affair. But I don't see how all this affects the investigation."

Lisbon was listening to his thoughts. They were very guarded, and she couldn't really get an accurate read on them. But she had realised over the past week that stress had that effect on the mind. She wondered why he was stressed. He had an alibi. Then she realised. "Did you have an affair with her?"

Jarred was clearly caught off guard, as was Jane. He had suspected, but hadn't realised Lisbon would ask so directly. Jarred stuttered over several words, before nodding. "It was just an internet fling. Nothing serious. And certainly nothing physical."

Lisbon heard his resentful thoughts, and nodded. "You wanted physical?"

Jarred blinked. "How did you know?"

Jane cut in. "just answer the question."

Jarred looked at him. "Of course I wanted to be physical with her. But she was married, ten years older than me, and was just in it for the affection. But…"

His voice trailed off, and Lisbon nodded. "You loved her."

Jarred nodded. "I wanted to tell her in person…"

Lisbon read where his thoughts had gone a fraction of a second before he stopped speaking. She was flashed back to the living room in the Willows house, and two cups of strong coffee, one red and one green. "I think you are under arrest, Mr Dubery."

Jarred backed away. "Why? I admitted nothing."

Lisbon pulled out her cuffs. "Your thoughts betrayed you."

Jarred stood in stunned silence as Lisbon snapped the cuffs on and led him from the house.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Jane sat across from Jarred. The twenty-six year old looked down at his hands. "Tell me, what happened?"

Jarred looked up at Jane. "I left the site as soon as my boss left. I drove to her house, just to talk. We were having coffee, and I got closer to her. She rejected me when I went in for a kiss, and slapped me. I thought she loved me, and that we had something. She said all men were the same. And that she didn't want to be like her husband. She basically told me it was over. I lost it, and smashed her mug…"

Jane nodded. 'Then you struggled?"

Jarred looked away. "We did. I ended up scratching her hand accidentally. We knocked over a table, and the lamp. She broke free, and ran for her door."

Jane sat back. "Then you pulled out your gun and shot her three times. Yes, we know you carry one for protection."

Jarred nodded. "Just book me. I'm done here."

Jane looked at the one-way mirror and nodded. Lisbon entered and pulled him up. She and Jane walked with him down to booking. As she was signing off on her paperwork that the officer in charge had handed her, she thought about the turmoil that the young man before her was going through. In a fit of rage, he had shot a woman he had genuinely cared about. She handed the clipboard back to the officer, and she and Jane turned to leave. They were back up in the bullpen, when her boss and several other agents hurried into the room. "We have a security breach at the front and back main entrances," said Agent Stevens. "Armed men have entered and are on their way up here."

**A/N2: A short chapter, but a scene changer. The song mentioned, Radioactive, is actually one of my favourites. It's a good song, and I suggest you listen to it. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, and please leave me a review.  
P.S. Thank you to my friend for the use of your name. I hope I did what you wanted to it.**


	7. Chapter 7

Radioactive Roses

**A/N: sorry for taking so long. Please enjoy.**

Chapter seven

Lisbon heard their thoughts two seconds before the armed men burst onto their floor. She turned to the team, and her boss. "Everybody down!"

They all hit the ground behind the desks as the men opened fire into the room. The glass partitions and windows shattered, scattering glass all over the room. The men were yelling orders, and began pulling the agents out from behind the desks. There were four of them with automatic machine pistols, and two hand guns each. They lined the agents up against the far wall and made them sit down. A pile of identification cards, hand guns and cell phones sat next to Van Pelt's desk, which had been pushed to the side to make room. Jane did a quick check for injuries, and saw that Van Pelt had a cut above her eyebrow from a flying shard of glass. Apart from that one injury, no one else appeared to be hurt.

Lisbon sat with her eyes closed. The leader stood in front of her boss, Agent Stevens. "We are here to make a protest against the brutality of state agents towards citizens."

Lisbon's eyes snapped open. "The Kingsway Case."

The leader heard her speak and turned his gun on her. "What did you say?"

Lisbon looked up into the man's face. They hadn't bothered concealing their identities, which didn't bode well for the team's survival. "The Kingsway Case. My team and I worked it. There were claims that my team were too brutal in the arrest of Leonard Sullivan."

The leader scowled. "Yes, Agent Lisbon, your team gave my brother a broken arm and a black eye before he was finally taken into custody."

Jane remembered the case well. Leonard had been lucky not to be shot. He had run into an apartment building, and had been followed by Lisbon. She had caught him at the top of the stairs, where he had taken a swing at her and wrestled her to the ground. She had defended herself, and ended up accidentally pushing him down one flight of stairs. The landing had broken his arm. The black eye had happened during the wrestle. However, Lisbon had had a few bruises too, as well as a split lip. Cho and Rigsby had arrived in time to avoid a fatal shooting.

The leader, Lisbon realised, was James Sullivan, Leonard's older brother. He hadn't been interviewed during the investigation because he didn't know the victim, Mara Kingsway. But he had made himself known now. James turned to the rest of his men and indicated that they cover the doors. He sat at Van Pelt's desk and laid his gun down. "What do you want?" asked Stevens.

James smiled. "I want Agent Lisbon and her team to resign, or I kill every person in this room."

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Lisbon started awake. She had been dozing on Cho's shoulder, and she turned to him. He felt her move, and gently patted her arm. _'We won't resign, Lisbon,'_ he thought. _'I'd rather die with you.'_

Lisbon smiled. "Comforting thought, Cho."

She turned to Jane. He was sitting with his eyes closed, and she watched as the couch shifted closer and closer to them. His thoughts explained why. _'Lisbon, it will make a good shield for when you come up with a plan to get us out of here. I don't mind a few bullet holes.'_

Rigsby and Van Pelt both looked at her. A few ideas flashed through her mind, but Lisbon shook her head. Although they were all very good ideas, none of them really appealed because they meant sacrificing a member of her team. James appeared next to them. "Agents Jane and Lisbon, come with me."

Jane stood up and pulled his boss to her feet. They walked together through into interview room one. The door shut behind them, and Jane went to the window. _'I think we're being recorded, Lisbon.'_ Jane thought.

"I think so too," replied Lisbon.

'_So, any good plans?'_ Jane turned away from the window and frowned.

Lisbon shook her head. "None so far."

She sank into a chair and held her head in her hands. Jane sat opposite her. _'I've been experimenting with my telekinesis,'_ he thought. _'You remember that shield I managed to create on the balcony?'_

Lisbon nodded. "Where is this going?"

Jane shut his eyes and concentrated. _'Get up and walk slowly towards the door.'_

Lisbon frowned, puzzled, but stood up anyway. As she walked, she wondered what would happen.

Suddenly, it felt as though she had walked into a wall. She tried not to make it obvious, but she realised that Jane had formed the shield with his mind. She turned to face him. Before she could say anything to him, the door opened and James entered. The shield vanished. _'We can talk later.'_ Thought Jane as Lisbon sat down.

James began to circle the table. "You two had some pretty interesting conversation." He put his gun back into his holster. "How did you understand each other?"

Lisbon shrugged. "We've worked together for the better part of a decade. We can understand each other without speaking."

Jane nodded. "Lisbon knows everything about me."

Lisbon marvelled momentarily at how easy it was for Jane to lie. James nodded. "Whatever. All I want from the two of you is for Agent Lisbon to be the first to resign from her job."

Lisbon shook her head. "I will not resign. Your brother assaulted an officer of the law, and I was within my right to defend myself."

James turned to her. "So you were the one who broke his arm."

Lisbon scowled. "Your brother tackled me at the top of a flight of stairs. If I hadn't defended myself, he would have probably been charged with two counts of murder, instead of one."

James pulled out his gun and pointed it at Lisbon. "Maybe I should just finish the job."

Lisbon felt – rather than heard – Jane's mind go blank. James was intent on killing her, and he pointed the gun at her chest. His finger compressed, but nothing happened. The gun just clicked. James threw the gun in frustration and stormed from the room. Lisbon turned to Jane. "You?"

Jane nodded. _'I focussed on the firing pin and stopped it from moving. The gun is fine, if you want it.'_

The gun scooted across the ground and stopped at Lisbon's feet. She picked it up and handed it to Jane. He slid it into his jacket pocket. She bent close to him. "Did the camera see?"

Jane shook his head. _'I cracked the lens when they weren't looking. The most they can see is a lot of cracks.'_

Lisbon nodded, and the two of them stood up. A member of James' team came to the door and followed them back to the bullpen. Lisbon could see Rigsby with his arm protectively around his wife. As they sat down, the TV in the corner snapped on. Lisbon turned to see a news reporter standing out front of the building. The volume went up. James turned to his men. "Who did that?"

They all turned to each other and shrugged. The woman on screen turned to the building. "We have reports of a hostage situation within the CBI building. Most of the agents have been evacuated, but eleven agents remain unaccounted for, including CBI boss Agent Henry Stevens. It appears the hostage situation began as a protest against the brutality of state agents against the public, but the culprits still remain unknown. This is Lisa O'Connell, reporting live."

James turned his head as Cho's desk phone began to ring. He knew what was coming, and turned to Stevens. "You, answer the phone."

Stevens nodded, and sat down at Cho's desk. He picked the phone up, and put it on speaker. "Hello, this is Agent Stevens."

Jane turned to Lisbon. _'We need a distraction to break out. The negotiations won't save our lives.'_

Lisbon nodded. He was right, because she could read James' mind. And his mind was set on murder, no matter what the negotiator said.

**A/N2: Please leave a review and let me know how I'm doing. I really appreciate it. Thanks.**


	8. Chapter 8

Radioactive Roses

**A/N: I apologise for the delay, life is returning back to normal, and I will be back to relatively regular writing. Thank you all who have read this story, and who have followed me through this story.**

Chapter eight

The negotiator had been talking to Agent Stevens for over half an hour, with no result. James refused to budge from his demand, and Lisbon's team refused to meet it. Jane had been messing around with the air conditioning, turning it up and down, to make their captors uncomfortable. It was sitting on ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit, and even Lisbon and her team were sweating.

Lisbon could hear that the men with James were becoming restless. James has told them it would be a quick job, where people would either resign or die. Lisbon glanced at Cho. _'Boss,'_ he thought, _'I'm not sure we can make it out of this one. They won't let us go.'_

Lisbon shook her head. She didn't agree with Cho's thought, because she would find a way to get them out. Jane had shifted the couch enough to provide quick cover should a shootout ensue. James paced the room, agitated with the developments. He looked at Van Pelt, and scowled. "You," he pointed his gun at her. "Stand up."

Van Pelt looked sat her husband, and he nodded. Only Lisbon could hear their thoughts, and she hurriedly brushed away a tear. This was no time for crying. _'I love you, Wayne.'_ Van Pelt had thought.

Rigsby had echoed her thoughts, with an attachment. _'I love you, Grace. Please don't do anything stupid.'_

Lisbon watched the youngest member of her team stand up and walk over to James. He grabbed her by the arm and led her off to one of the interview rooms. Rigsby glanced at Lisbon, his face pale. _'Teresa, please help her.'_

Lisbon shut her eyes, and focussed on Van Pelt's thoughts. She was in the interview room, sitting at the table. James circled her, and had put his gun away.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Van Pelt had her hands on the table, and she stared straight ahead. "Grace," said James. "I know you want to survive. I won't kill you, but I just want your boss to resign and admit she committed an act of brutality."

Van Pelt didn't react. She had stared down her fiancé while he had tried to kill her. This man was nothing. James became frustrated with her. He pulled out the gun and brandished it in her face. Van Pelt turned her head and stared up at the man. Her gaze was cold, and her brown-grey eyes were cold and steely. She realised she had used this look when staring down her therapist after Craig's death.

James turned away from this woman's glare. She had sent a chill down his spine. He stood looking at the one way glass, and contemplated his reflection. "Grace, I will cut you a deal." He turned to face her, but avoided her glare. "I will release you and your husband, unharmed, if you can convince Agent Lisbon to resign from her position in the CBI."

Van Pelt stood up. "We're done here, Mr Sullivan."

James pointed his gun at her. "I suggest you sit, Grace, before I decide to remove the deal and shoot you here."

Van Pelt lifted her hands, and sat back down. James headed towards the door. "Now, I will go and fetch your boss, and give you half an hour to convince her, or your dear husband gets shot."

James left, locking the door behind him. He walked back out to the bullpen and pointed his gun at Lisbon. "You, bitch, get up."

Lisbon set her gaze and stood up. The thoughts behind her were alarmed. _'Teresa,'_ thought Cho. _'Please be careful. And don't give in.'_

Her boss and the other five agents all showed concern. Rigsby was still concerned about his wife, and expressed again his desire for her protection. But Jane's thoughts pulled at her heartstrings. _'Teresa, please don't hurt yourself. I need you to survive. I can't live if you die.'_

The last flash Lisbon had from Jane was of a grotesque smiley, then she blocked the thought and headed to the interview room where Van Pelt was waiting.

James pushed her into the room, and shut the door behind her. "I know you're okay, Grace. But we can't stay here."

Van Pelt stood up. "Lisbon, I have half an hour, or they will shoot Wayne."

Lisbon put her hands onto her colleague's shoulders. "We will get out of here, Grace."

Grace nodded. _'Do you have a plan?'_

Lisbon shook her head. "Not yet, but we are working on one."

Lisbon turned towards the door, and Van Pelt spotted the gun in Lisbon's waistband. _'Where did you get a gun?'_

Lisbon turned to Van Pelt and smiled. "Jane. And don't worry; he can protect Rigsby from any bullets. I promise you that."

Lisbon began to pace. They needed a distraction, but she had no way to convey any ideas to Jane. He could provide the prefect distraction. Fifteen minutes in, and Van Pelt hadn't said anything else to Lisbon. Lisbon could tell she was panicking, and had begun to break down internally. Lisbon sat opposite her. "Did you feel this way after Craig?"

Van Pelt looked up at her. "Teresa, then I felt hollow, empty. Like I had lost the will to live. I had no reason to want to live anymore. Rigsby changed that for me. If he gets shot, I would probably end up losing my career and everything I've worked for because I wouldn't make it out this time."

Lisbon reached across and took Van Pelt's hand. "Grace, nobody we love will die today. I know we will all make it out alive."

The door opened, and Jane was tossed in. The door slammed, and he pulled himself to his feet. "The time has been extended another ten minutes."

Lisbon stood up. She glanced at Van Pelt, who nodded. _'We need a plan.'_

Jane looked at Lisbon, and then at Van Pelt. "We need a distraction."

Lisbon looked at Jane. "Could you break windows?"  
Jane nodded. _'Of course, Lisbon. But I need to focus, that means protection from you.'_

Lisbon nodded, and turned to Van Pelt. She walked over, and handed her the gun. "We need you to cover for Jane."

Lisbon hurriedly whispered their plan, and Van Pelt agreed it was the best. Lisbon knocked on the glass door. James stepped over to the door. He opened it and stepped in. "have you come to a decision?"

Lisbon nodded. "I will resign, if the rest of my team is let go once I've signed."

James smiled, and led Lisbon, Jane and Van Pelt from the room. Van Pelt kept the gun hidden securely under her jacket, and walked over to where Rigsby sat. She stood next to him, and he rose to his feet. As Lisbon settled at Cho's vacated desk, a piece of paper was brought to her. She began to write her letter of resignation. Cho stood, as well as Stevens and the remaining five agents.

Van Pelt whispered the plan to Rigsby, who in turn passed it down the line to the rest of the agents. Jane stood next to Van Pelt, and shut his eyes. He visualised the room around him, and highlighted the windows. He pushed on them, but nothing happened. He relaxed, and focussed on the windows again. Slowly, the glass began to rattle. The agents all pretended they couldn't hear it, and continued to watch their boss write her career-ending letter.

Lisbon glanced up, and heard Jane's relaxed thoughts. She glanced at Van Pelt, who nodded slightly. Lisbon went back to writing, and James stood over her to see what she had written. Jane chose that opportunity to smash the first window. It shattered into the room, showering the couch with glass. The next one shattered, and the men ducked and ran for cover. They thought bullets were flying into the room. Jane opened his eyes, and lifted his hands. All at once, the remaining windows in the immediate vicinity shattered.

Lisbon took the opportunity to dive for the ground, as James turned to open fire on her. She held up the letter, and held it at arms length. James lunged for the letter, but Lisbon was too fast. She had read his thoughts just before he lunged. She pulled it back, and tore it in half, dropping the pieces to the floor. James levelled his gun at her and pulled the trigger.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Lisbon watched the bullet fly towards her as if in slow motion. Jane watched it too, and his instinct moved faster than he had imagined possible. Because he and Lisbon had shared that radioactive connection, it was almost as natural as breathing. The bullet flew towards Lisbon's heart, potentially ending her life. But it stopped and shattered a foot from Lisbon's body. James shot again, and the second bullet also shattered. James turned to face Jane, and put up his gun. Before anybody could blink, the sound of a gunshot rattled through the bullpen.

Jane had dropped the shield the moment the gun had pointed at him. Van Pelt was fast, and had pulled the gun out. She fired a single shot, hitting James squarely in the forehead. He crumpled to the floor, his gun still in his grasp. The three other men stood up and dropped their weapons, their hands in the air and shaking.

Cho and Rigsby moved quickly, cuffing the three men. Jane went quickly to Lisbon, and embraced her. "Are you okay, Teresa?"

Lisbon nodded, and picked up a shattered bullet. "The shield, it worked."

Jane smiled. "It was so natural. It must have been the connection we have."

Lisbon looked up at him. "Thank you, Jane. Now, let's charge these bastards."

Lisbon picked up her torn letter, and scrunched it into a tight ball. She tossed it into the trashcan on her way out of the destroyed bullpen.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Three days had passed, and Lisbon sat at her desk in her office. She had been through three days of hearings, and was cleared of any brutality charges. The three men with James had been charged with their crimes, and were in the holding cells at SacPD. Jane pushed the door on Lisbon's office open and sat down on her couch. He shut his eyes, and the door closed slowly.

Lisbon stood up, and sat next to him on the sofa. Jane rested his head back against the sofa, and opened his eyes. Lisbon listened to his thoughts, and nodded. "It was a scary situation. But we made it through."

Jane turned his head to face Lisbon. "Teresa, I nearly lost you. It was scary for me to watch you nearly get shot."

Lisbon watched as he leant forwards and put his one hand onto her shoulder. The smiley flashed through his mind again, and Lisbon shuddered. "Why do you keep thinking about that night?"

Jane sighed. "I lost the woman and child I loved. It broke me. That moment he pulled the trigger, that fear hit me again."

Lisbon felt his hand tighten, as he pulled her towards him. She wanted to pull back, but heard the determination in his thoughts and decided against it. He pulled her into a hug, and she felt his thoughts relax. She pulled away slightly. "Jane, you don't need to panic anymore. I'm still here, and not going anywhere."

Jane looked into her eyes, and she listened to his mind go blank. He leant in and gently pressed his lips to hers. She froze, but found herself relaxing into his embrace. After just a few seconds, she pulled away and smiled. Jane smiled back, and Lisbon's eyes widened at his thoughts. _'Thank you, Teresa. I love you, you know. Even if we lose our abilities, I will always love you, as long as I live.'_

Lisbon smiled back at him. "I love you too, Patrick."

Lisbon stood up, and Jane followed suit. He pulled her into his arms, and she rested her head onto his shoulder. Through all of the drama they had survived over the last week, they had both come to realise that they had been denying their feelings for each other. Jane pulled her tighter, and Lisbon could only feel warmth coming from his thoughts. She held him tighter, thankful that he had saved her life.

**Epilogue**

**Twenty years later**

Teresa and Patrick Jane were in their kitchen, preparing dinner. The front door shut, and a face peered around the door. It was their sixteen year old daughter, Esther Charlotte Jane. Esther had been at school, and she gave both of her parents a hug. She had suffered no ill effects from being born from two radioactive parents, both of whom had retained their abilities.

Esther put down her satchel. She headed off to her room momentarily, to fetch a gift for her parents. It was their seventeenth wedding anniversary. She went back into the kitchen, and handed her mother a gift bag. Teresa smiled at her daughter. "Esther, you know you didn't need to."

Esther laughed, her blonde curls bouncing. "I know, mom, but I wanted to."

Patrick took the gift back, and opened it. Inside was a cube of glass. Set within the glass was a single, shattered bullet. Teresa looked at her daughter, tears glistening in her eyes. "Thank you, Esther. It is so beautiful. Where did you get the bullet from?"

Esther smiled, happy to see how touched her mother had been. "Uncle Kimball still had it after all these years. Setting it in glass was my idea."

Patrick gave his daughter a hug. "Thank you, Esther. It's beautiful. Now, let's eat."

The family sat down at the table, ready for their meal, and grateful that they all had one another. The bullet sat amongst them, a strong reminder that there were no boundaries when it came to the love between them all.

**A/N2: thank you all for following me on this journey. I appreciate your support, and thank you for sticking with me. Please leave me a review.**

**Until next time,  
SJ**


End file.
